Season 54 Featured Game No. 9...Dallas at Los Angeles

DALLAS 85, LOS ANGELES 73

DEMONS STILL PERFECT

LOS ANGELES -- The seemingly unstoppable Dallas Demons (now 9-0) easily handled the Los Angeles Big One (now 5-4) on the L.A. home court, 85-73, clinching home court advantage throughout the playoffs.

The two-time defending champions have one more win to complete a perfect regular season, and it will be against their biggest current rival, Oklahoma City, to close out the campaign.

This win tips the lifetime rivalry between Dallas and L.A. to the Demons, who have 23 wins in the all-time series to 22 for L.A. (previously Houston).

Dallas controlled this game from the first time unit, which was a 3-pointer by its point guard Vicious Hick, who also delivered another trey on the team's second posession. The first head-to-head battle between rookie stars Hicks and MBA scoring leader Pinky Toe of L.A. ended in a dead heat, with both scoring 18 points and accumulating 25 GVP.

This could very well be a preview of the SemiFinal round of the playoffs, and would be if the season ended right now.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

38 GVP...The league's most recently named Hall of Famer, JUZAN DJINN of Dallas, seeking his first regular season MVP award on the heels of two consecutive Playoff MVPs, nailed down his third POG of the campaign in this contest. This ties him for the league lead in that category with another Hall of Fame player, Crentis Dentist of Oklahoma City. Djinn, who is currently atop the MVP ladder, with Pinky Toe of L.A. trailing, scored a game-high 25 points on 10 of 19 shooting (1 for 7 from deep and 4 of 5 free throws). The elder statesman in the Dallas starting lineup, now in his fifth season, led everyone in rebounds as well with 7, while blocking 3 shots, handing out 2 assists and racking up 1 steal. He is scoring at a 20.2 ppg clip, raising the bar from his career best 17.9 ppg of a season ago.

Other 20-plus GVP performers

28 GVP...Dallas center Biggus Dickus... gets second consecutive triple-double (3rd career) with 15 points...5 rebounds...5 blocked shots...2 assists...1 steal.

25 GVP...Dallas rookie point guard Vicious Hick...18 points (6 treys)...5 assists...2 rebounds.

25 GVP...Los Angeles rookie point guard Pinky Toe...18 points...5 rebounds...2 assists.

21 GVP...Los Angeles shooting guard Barfly Gigglewater...17 points (3 treys)...3 rebounds...1 assist.

MBA Standings … Season 54

EAST DIVISION

DALLAS………………….9-0 (clinched playoffs and first place and home court)

OKLAHOMA CITY…..6-2

CHARLESTON………. 4-4

PHILADELPHIA………2-6 (eliminated)

MILWAUKEE……….. 1-7 (eliminated)

 

WEST DIVISION

SACRAMENTO… 6-2

LOS ANGELES….. 5-4

SAN JOSE…………3-5

SEATTLE…………..3-5 (eliminated)

GILLETTE…………. 2-6 (eliminated)

 

NEXT UP: A battle at the bottom of the West Division, with Gillette at Seattle. These are the only two teams mathematically eliminated from the playoffs in the West.  The Stampede won the initial outing 72-60. 

Season 54 Featured Game No. 8... Charleston at Dallas

DALLAS 89, CHARLESTON 70

DEMONS CLINCH FIRST

DALLAS -- The victory apparatus that is the Dallas Demons became the first team in Season 54 to clinch a playoff berth with an 89-70 dismantling of the visiting Charleston Mountaineers, assuring the home team of its third consecutive first-place finish in the East Division.

The two-time defending champions also remain unbeaten at 8-0, with just Los Angeles and Oklahoma City standing in the way of the MBA's fifth perfect regular season. 

Charleston stayed within reach of the powerhouse Demons for three quarters before finally unraveling to the talented quintet in the final stanza, as the Whiz Kids, featuring five double digit scorers and two triple-doubles, pulled steadily away.

POINTS PREVENTED BY QUARTERS

Charleston...2...0...0...3...Total=5

Dallas..........2...6...2...2...Total=12

Points Prevented Leaders

1. Pete Marzano, Dallas...6

2. Satan Israel, Dallas...4

3. Seeyalater Scronto, Charleston...3

TURNOVERS CAUSED BY QUARTERS

Charleston...1...1...2...0...Total=5

Dallas..........1...0...1...0...Total=2

Turnovers Caused Leaders

1. Johnny Bananas, Charleston...2

(5 others with 1 each)

PLAYER OF THE GAME

30 GVP...The 10th MBA player this season to record his second POG (nobody has managed 3 thus far) is Dallas' outstanding rookie guard VICIOUS HICK, who used this playoff-clinching victory to snag the first triple-double of his career. The 6-2 point guard scored 16 points, grabbed a game-high 8 rebounds and handed out a game-high 6 assists. He was 7 for 10 from the floor, 1 for 3 from deep and 1 for 2 from the foul line. 

Other 20-plus GVP performers

25 GVP...Dallas small forward Pete "The Steakman" Marzano...20 points...3 blocks...2 rebounds

24 GVP...Dallas Hall of Fame guard Juzan Djinn...16 points...5 rebounds...2 assists...1 block

23 GVP...Dallas center Biggus Dickus...second triple-double of career...13 points...5 rebounds...5 assists

23 GVP...Charleston point guard Seeyalater Scronto...17 points...3 assists...2 blocks...1 steal

23 GVP...Charleston center Johnny Bananas...16 points...3 rebounds...2 blocks...2 assists

20 GVP...Charleston small forward Piping Plover...17 points...2 rebounds...1 blocked shot

MBA Standings … Season 54

EAST DIVISION

DALLAS………………….8-0 (clinched playoffs and first place)

OKLAHOMA CITY…..5-2

CHARLESTON………. 4-4

PHILADELPHIA………2-5

MILWAUKEE……….. 0-7 (eliminated)

 

WEST DIVISION

SACRAMENTO… 6-2

LOS ANGELES….. 5-3

SAN JOSE…………3-4

SEATTLE…………..3-5 (eliminated)

GILLETTE…………. 2-6 (eliminated)

 

NEXT UP: San Jose traverses to Oklahoma City in this important cross-over contest. The Fighting Amigos are clinging to hopes of a playoff spot and Oklahoma City could really put some distance between themselves and Charleston for the second spot in the East. 

 

With the two-time defending champion Demons from Dallas currently at 7-0, it's appropriate to look back on the four teams that made it all the way through the regular season to go unbeaten at 10-0. 

The first two teams to do so failed to win the championship, and only one team ever ran the MBA gauntlet to finish 15-0.

This Dallas team has a good a chance to join these four teams and even go totally unbeaten. They must get past Charleston (4-3) who took them to overtime in their last meeting, Los Angeles (5-3) and finally, Oklahoma City (5-2), who they squeezed by for a 90-86 triumph. That's a pretty tough road.

Also, Milwaukee, currently 0-7, has a shot of joining the three teams who went 0-10 for the season:

Seattle in Season 5

Milwaukee in Season 43

Kansas City in Season 47

They will, however, be getting back probably their best player Ehhy Table for their last three games...Philadelphia (2-5), Charleston (4-3) and Seattle (3-5). We predict at least one win out of that schedule.

Anyway, here are the four clubs who went 10-0.  

Season 6 PHILADELPHIA PHOBIA 

- 10-0 regular season; lost first game of playoffs to Charleston, then won next two; swept by Milwaukee in Finals

- sandwiched between two championships ... won titles in Seasons 5, 7 & 8

- All-MBA players were: guard Uncle Bob Masterson, center Alex Pal, forward Rowdy Ron Clutch

- Five starters, plus top sub all eventually made Hall of Fame...Masterson, Pal, Clutch, guard Oscar Mudcat, forward Raisin Sport, top sub guard Stu nod. 

- Sport led the league in blocks with 26

- Mudcat led the league in 3-point shooting (70%)

- nod made the All-Rookie team

- team led league in scoring at 81.9 ppg

- led in defense at 65.5 ppg (+16.4 differential)

- led in rebounds at 22.7 per game

- led in blocks with 74 (a record at the time)

- Pal led playoffs in rebounds at 6 per game

- Mudcat led playoffs in steals with 4

LINEUP WAS

G – Uncle Bob Masterson (Hall of Fame)

G – Oscar Mudcat (Hall of Fame)

C – Alex Pal (Hall of Fame)

F – Raisin Sport (Hall of Fame)

F – Rowdy Ron Clutch (Hall of Fame)

Key sub – guard Stu Nod (Hall of Fame)

Season 18 Oklahoma City Lariats

-10-0 regular season; swept by Milwaukee in Semifinals

- Hall of Fame center Diamond Dallas Paige won league MVP honors in his final season

- Paige tied Chicago center Achilles Heel for scoring title at 19.8 ppg

- Paige led league with 8 rebounds per game, which is still a record

- Forward Tersio Tataruga made All-Rookie team

- team led league in scoring with 79.4 ppg

- team led league in rebounding with 24.1 per game

LINEUP WAS

G – Streetcar Johnny Masterson

G – Mamadou Zongo (Hall of Fame)

C – Diamond Dallas Paige (Hall of Fame)

F – Briscoe Darling

F – Tersio Tataruga

Season 42 Charleston Mountaineers

- first 10-0 team to go on and win the championship, beating Dallas in Finals, going 5-1

- Hall of Fame guard Naf Naf was league MVP for 6th consecutive, and last time

- Naf Naf lone All-MBA player of team

- Naf Naf led league in scoring with 25.3 ppg (6th of 7 consecutive)

- Naf Naf led league in 3-point shooting at 68.2% with 60 made (5th & final time)

- substitute forward Sheik Yerbouti made All-Rookie team

- team led league in scoring, averaging 91.8 ppg (still a record)

- team led league in shooting percentage at 63.1%

- team led league in assists with 13.7 per game

- team led league in steals with 23

- team led league in blocked shots with 76

- Naf Naf was top playoff scorer at 20.7 ppg (tied with Bingo Bango of Dallas)

- Pietro Destroyer was tops in playoff assists at 3.2 per game

- Bezow Bop-Bop tops in playoff blocked shots with 15

- Bop-Bop tops in playoff steals with 7

- Naf Naf tops in playoff 3-point shooting qt 58.3% with 28 made

LINEUP WAS

G – Naf Naf (Hall of Fame)

G – Beezow Bop-Bop (Hall of Fame)

C – J.J. Gargantuan (Hall of Fame)

F – Pietro Destroyer

F – Wawa Wewa

Season 47 Dallas Demons

- first & only MBA team to run the table at 15-0, sweeping Los Angeles in Semis, then Sacramento in Finals for back-to-back titles

- 5th straight (and last) MVP award for Chip Battoe

- 2nd straight (and last) Playoff MVP award for Chip Battoe

- Battoe only Dallas player on All-MBA team

- Battoe leads league in blocks with 44...5th consecutive season of what would be six in a row

- team led league in scoring at 80.1 ppg

- team led league in defense allowing 61.8 ppg

- team led league in steals with 38

- team led league in blocks with 92

- Battoe led in playoff scoring at 17.8 ppg (2nd in a row)

- GoTo Grot led in playoff rebounding with 6.6 rpg ( 2nd in a row)

- Battoe led in playoff blocked shots with 35 (4th time in a row)

LINEUP WAS

G – Louie Subgum

G – Meatpants Masterson

C – GoTo Grot

F – Chip Battoe (Hall of Fame)

F – Tiger Masterson

Season 54 Featured Game No. 7...Los Angeles at Sacramento

SACRAMENTO 75, LOS ANGELES 67

R-DOGS TAKE OVER FIRST

SACRAMENTO -- The amazing run of the Sacramento River Dogs (now 5-2) continued tonight with a 75-67 victory over visiting Los Angeles; a win that gives the R-Dogs sole possession of first place in the West.

The victors were aided by the second foul out this season by L.A. rookie sensation Pinky Toe, who was subsequently held to 10 points below his league-leading average coming into the game.

The Big One (4-3) is still in good shape for a playoff spot, but is looking down the barrel of season-ending games against Dallas and these same River Dogs again.

PLAYERS OF THE GAME

26 GVP...Earning back-to-back POGs is Sacramento second-year guard KARMA CHAMELEON, who follows his game-high 24 pt effort in the win agaiinst San Jose with a game-high 22-point output in this big triumph tonight. The 6-4 Chameleon was moved to the point to hopefully slow down Toe, but played much of the game in his more familiar two spot after getting three fouls. Chameleon was 9 for 15 from the floor (1 for 2 from deep, 3 for 4 from the foul line, 1 slam dunk), while also pulling down a team-high 4 rebounds.

AND

26 GVP...Second-year 6-8 power forward FUDGE PIES DELI of Los Angeles led his team with 17 points despite being guarded by defensive ace Kevin Duran-Duran of Sacramento. Deli was 7 for 12 from the floor, including 1 for 2 from deep and 2 for 2 from the foul stripe. He added 1 dunk. He tied for game-high in rebounds with 5 while posting game-high in steals with 2. He added 1 blocked shot and 1 assist to his fine compilation.

Other 20-Plus GVP performers

24 GVP...Sacramento power forward Kevin Duran-Duran...14 points...3 blocks...3 rebounds...3 assists...1 steal

21 GVP...Los Angeles rookie guard Pinky Toe...15 points...3 rebounds...3 assists

MBA Standings … Season 54

EAST DIVISION

DALLAS………………….6-0

OKLAHOMA CITY…..4-2

CHARLESTON………. 4-2

PHILADELPHIA………2-4

MILWAUKEE……….. 0-6

 

WEST DIVISION

SACRAMENTO… 5-2

LOS ANGELES….. 4-3

SAN JOSE…………3-4

SEATTLE…………..2-4

GILLETTE…………. 2-5

 

NEXT UP: It’s Charleston at Seattle in a cross-over for the next contest. The Mountaineers are favored, and another win would keep them firmly in the race among the elites of the East. Seattle desperately needs an upset to remain relevant in the West.